Drat That Dratini!
by Ilex the Elder
Summary: Ash's efforts to get Misty a Dratini for her birthday are repeatedly thwarted by Team Rocket.
1. Chapter 1

"Hi, Professor Oak," Ash said as he and Pikachu wandered into the Oak Pokémon Research Laboratory. "What're you doing?"

"Good morning, Ash. Hello, Pikachu," Professor Oak smiled as greeted his visitors. "I'm busy trying to update the latest version of the Pokédex. With all the new information I'm getting on Pokémon, sometimes it seems as if I can barely keep up." 

Ash and Pikachu looked over Professor Oak's shoulder. "Hey, Professor, when do you think you'll have it finished?"

"I just finished it now, Ash," Professor Oak said as he clicked the computer's mouse. 

"Can I try it out?" Ash asked eagerly.

"Certainly, Ash. Have a seat." Professor Oak gave up his place at the computer to the dark-haired boy hovering over his shoulder. "Anything in particular you're looking for?"

"Well, I…" Ash's face started turning red. "Uh, not really," he said hastily.

"Anything I can help you with, Ash?" an amused Professor Oak asked, noticing the redness spreading across Ash's face.

"Um, I…can you keep a secret, Professor Oak?" 

"Of course I can, Ash. What's on your mind?" Professor Oak asked as he sat down in the seat next to Ash's.

"Well, Misty's birthday is Saturday, and I was trying to think of something to get her."

Now Professor Oak understood the reason for Ash's red-facedness. "Well, I'm not exactly an expert on women, but I could try to give you some ideas for a present for Misty."

"Oh, I already know what I'm going to get her," Ash replied. "I want to get her a Pokémon."

"Really? What kind?"

"That's just it, Professor. I can't decide which one to get her. I know it has to be a water Pokémon, but I can't decide which one."

"Well, why don't you search through the Pokédex and see if there's one that Misty might like?" Professor Oak suggested as he reached for the keyboard. "I can set it up to organize the Pokémon by type. There. Now this should bring up a listing of all the water-type Pokémon."

Ash tapped one of the buttons on the computer and a picture of Squirtle appeared on the screen. 

"Do you think Misty would like a Squirtle?" Professor Oak asked.

"Nahh, I don't think she was too thrilled when she met the Squirtle Squad the first time," Ash said, recalling how the gang of turtle-type Pokémon nearly drowned Misty.

"Guess that also rules out Wartortle and Blastoise," Professor Oak said.

"And Misty already has a Poliwag that evolved into a Poliwhirl," Ash continued as the next picture appeared on the screen. Ash continued clicking on the computer's mouse. "She's got that one…and that one…had that one…used to have that one…got it…got it…got it," Ash closed the browser and grumbled. "Darn it. Misty's got or had every water-type Pokémon there is."

"Don't give up, Ash," Professor Oak reassured the disgruntled boy as he reached over and clicked the mouse to bring up another screen. "There are other types of Pokémon that aren't necessarily water types, but they do live in the water. Do you think Misty might like one of those?"

"Like what, Professor?"

"Like this one."

Ash pointed to the picture of the Pokémon on the screen. "A Dratini, yeah! I bet Misty would like one of those for her birthday!" 

A computerized voice began narrating the information displayed on the screen: "Dratini. This dragon-type Pokémon lives in lakes and rivers and is normally very shy. It evolves into Dragonair and Dragonite. It is strong against many types of attacks, but weak against ice-type attacks."

"Do you know where there are any Dratini around, Professor?" Ash asked excitedly.

"There are Dratini in Ochre Lake. Quite a few of them, as a matter of fact," Professor Oak informed him.

"All right! Come on, Pikachu," Ash said as he hopped up from the computer workstation. "We're gonna catch us a Dratini!" 

"Piakchu!" the little yellow Pokémon said excitedly as it hopped on its trainer's shoulder.

"Oh, wait," Ash said as his face fell. "I don't have any ice-type Pokémon."

"There's an easier way to catch Dratini, you know," Professor Oak said as he closed the Pokédex.

"There is? How?" 

Professor Oak disappeared down the hall and returned with a pair of fishing poles. "The old-fashioned way," he smiled as he handed one to Ash.

---

"We've been here for over an hour and I still haven't caught anything!" Ash grumbled as he reeled in his empty hook. "Are you sure there are Dratini in the lake?"

"Patience, my boy," Professor Oak reassured him. "And yes, there are Dratini in Ochre Lake. I've seen them myself. The key to successfully catching one is patience."

"Maybe I should just get Misty a keychain or something," Ash sighed.

"Don't give up yet, Ash. Sometimes it takes a while to catch a Dratini. They're quite shy, you know. However, this bait just might do the trick," Professor Oak said as he handed Ash some bright pink pellets.

"Yeah, well, it hasn't done anything for me yet," Ash complained as he strung a couple of pellets onto the end of his hook and tossed it back into the lake.

On the other side of the lake, Team Rocket wasn't having much success fishing, either.

"It's no use, Jessie," James said dejectedly as he reeled in yet another empty hook. "I don't think there are any fish in this lake."

"Quit whining and keep fishing," Jessie growled as her stomach rumbled. "Even a tiny Magikarp would taste good about now."

"Oh, don't remind me about Magikarp," James said as he tossed his line back into the lake. "We nearly got killed by that one in…" A sudden tug on the end of James's line interrupted his thoughts.

"Hey, looks like you've got something, James," Meowth said excitedly.

"Feels like a big one!" James smiled eagerly as he pulled on the line. 

Jessie's mouth dropped as a huge blue head surfaced. "It's big, all right!" 

The three members of Team Rocket shrieked as the Gyrados that James had hooked roared loudly. With a huge splash, the dragonlike Pokémon took off in the other direction, pulling James in with it.

"Wow, I didn't know James was so good at water-skiing," said Meowth as the Gyrados dragged along the helpless James behind it.

"HEEELLLLLPPPPP!" James screamed as he flew across the surface of the water. 

"Let go of the pole, you idiot!" Jessie yelled back to her partner.

Before James had time to let go, the Gyrados dived underwater, taking James with it. Jessie and Meowth watched in horror as James disappeared under the water's surface.

"Aw, let's go, Professor Oak," Ash whined. "There's nothing here but…" Then for the first time that day, Ash felt a tug on his line. "Hey, I think I've got something!" Ash pulled on the line, but it didn't budge. "Wow, it must weigh about a million pounds!" Pikachu ran behind his trainer and helped him pull.

"Need a hand, Ash?" Professor Oak volunteered as he put down his own pole and helped Ash with his.

"Man, this is a huge Dratini!" Ash said excitedly as the three pulled hard on the line. "Misty's gonna be really happy when she sees this!"

Ash gave a great tug and the weight on the end of his pole gave way. Professor Oak lost his grip, tumbled backwards head over heels, and landed facedown with a loud _splat_ in a muddy bog as Pikachu dashed out of the way just in time to avoid being squashed by a falling Ash. Dazed, Ash sat up, shook the cobwebs out of his head, then examined his catch. It wasn't like any Pokémon he'd ever seen before - it was almost human-like. Matter of fact, it was human – a blue-haired human with a white uniform that had a big red "R" on the front.

"Aw man, I caught Team Rocket," a disappointed Ash said as he realized that he had caught James and not a Dratini.

Snorting and spitting mud everywhere, Professor Oak raised his head. With some difficulty, he pulled one of his arms out of the knee-deep muck, wiped the mud out of his eyes, and saw a dejected-looking Ash looking down at a blue-haired teenage boy. "You know him?"

"Yeah, it's just James," Ash said glumly as he touched the unmoving lump with his foot. "Wonder what he's doing in Ochre Lake without Jessie and Meowth?"

Professor Oak, noticing that James' face was as blue as his hair, began to become concerned about the condition of the Team Rocket member at the end of Ash's line. "Ash, he doesn't look too good. Check to see if he's all right." Professor Oak pulled his other arm out of the bog with a big "splosh". "I'd help you, but I'm a little stuck in the mud right now." 

"Oh, all right," Ash grumbled as he knelt by James and laid his ear on the unconscious boy's chest. 

"Is he still alive?" Professor Oak asked as he started tugging at one of his legs.

"His heart's still beating, if that's what you mean," Ash reported.

"Is he breathing?"

"I can't really tell for sure, Professor Oak." Ash listened intently then an anxious expression appeared on his face. "I don't think so."

"There's no time to lose, then!" Professor Oak said quickly. "You'll have to give him artificial respiration."

"Me?!" exclaimed a stunned Ash. "But I don't know how to…"

"I'll talk you through it, Ash," Professor Oak said as he kept trying to extricate his left leg from the mud. "First, tilt his head up and raise his chin." With some trepidation, Ash did as he was instructed. "Next, open his mouth."

"Eww, do I have to?" Ash whined uncomfortably. "Hey! I've got an idea!" Ash reached for one of his Poké balls. "Why don't I get Bulbasaur to use his Vine Whip to pull you out of the mud and then you can…"

"There's no time for that, Ash," Professor Oak said impatiently as he finally freed his left leg from the muck and starting working on his right. "Pinch his nose shut, take a deep breath, and blow into his mouth."

Ash, who would've gladly given artificial respiration to Muk before he would give it to James, looked down uneasily at the half-drowned member of Team Rocket. "Professor, can't I just have Pikachu Thundershock him instead?" he asked weakly.

"No, Ash. Just do it," Professor Oak ordered as he struggled to free his other leg.

__

Easy for you to say, Professor Oak, Ash thought as he gingerly pinched James's nose shut. _You don't have to put your mouth on another guy's. _Ash closed his eyes, braced himself, and put his mouth over James's open one. The moment Ash exhaled into his victim's mouth, James's eyes popped open. 

"AAAUUUGGHHHHH!" the two screamed in unison.

Both Ash and James scrambled to their feet and started gagging and retching.

"Yuck! I have TWERP GERMS!" James sputtered as he frantically wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Hey, I just saved your worthless life!" Ash said as he started spitting and tried desperately to wash his mouth out with some of the water in Ochre Lake.

Professor Oak, who by now had freed himself from the bog, made his way over to where the two boys were gagging. 

At the sight of Professor Oak covered in mud from head to toe, James stopped sputtering and stared. "I know they say mud packs are good for wrinkles, but I think you're taking it a little too far."

Professor Oak gave James a withering look. "Never mind that. What are you doing on my property?"

"Your property?" said a surprised James.

"Yes. Ochre Lake is on my Pokémon Preserve," Professor Oak informed him. "Didn't you see the signs on the fence?"

"The ones that said 'no trespassing'?"

"Yes."

"No. We didn't see them."

Ash rolled his eyes. 

"I won't press charges if you leave now," Professor Oak said as he gathered up his fishing pole. "Come on, Ash. Let's get back to the lab. I need to get cleaned up."

"Wait a minute -- you can't just leave me!" James said. "After all, it was your nasty Gyrados that nearly drowned me!"

"Yeah well, if you hadn't been sneaking around Professor Oak's property, then you wouldn't have nearly drowned in the first place!" Ash retorted. 

James began shivering as the wind started to blow. 

"Go change into some dry clothes and have something hot to eat, and you'll be fine," Professor Oak said.

"But I don't have any other clothes," James whined. "And Jessie and Meowth and I haven't had anything decent to eat in three days!"

"Yeah well, that's your problem," Ash replied as he gathered up his fishing gear. "Come on, Pikachu. Let's go."

"Don't leave me here!" James begged as he threw himself at Professor Oak's feet. "I'll freeze to death or get eaten by all those nasty wild Pokémon roaming in the woods! And then I'll never hear Jessie's screeching about how stupid I am or Meowth telling me that I'm an idiot ever again!"

"Oh, that's so beautiful," Jessie sniffed as she brushed away a tear. Both she and Meowth had gone off in search of their missing friend and were hiding behind a tree ten feet away from James.

"You said it, Jessie," Meowth agreed. "That idiot is a pretty special guy."

Professor Oak sighed. "This is going against my better judgement, but all right, come along with us back to the lab and we'll find you some dry clothes."

Ash's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Professor, you can't be serious! This is just another one of Team Rocket's sneaky tricks!"

"Maybe, but he does have a point, Ash. It wouldn't be right to let him freeze to death out here. Especially after you worked so hard to save his life," Professor Oak said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

Ash gave James a dirty look. "Oh, all right," Ash grumbled.

"Oh, thank you," James said gratefully as he followed the two up the trail that led back to the lab.

"Come on, let's follow them," Jessie ordered as she and Meowth emerged from their hiding place and started up the path.

"What happened to you, Professor?" Tracey exclaimed at the sight of his mud-covered boss. "Did Cubone go bezerk with its Mud Slap attack again?" Tracey then saw a shivering James standing in the doorway behind Ash. "Hey, what's he doing here?"

"I'm going upstairs to get cleaned up," Professor Oak replied as he headed for the stairs. "Tracey, find our guest some dry clothes."

"Me? But why…?" Tracey stammered.

Ash snickered. "You heard him, Tracey. Go help James take his clothes off."

Tracey gave Ash a dirty look and hurled a copy of the "Field Guide to the Pokémon of the Western Kanto Region" in his direction. Ash ducked and the book hit James in the forehead. 

"Why, you little twerp!" James, fists raised, started toward Tracey and was immediately stopped by…

"MUK!!!" 

The giant sludge Pokémon appeared behind James in the doorway and threw himself atop the unfortunate member of Team Rocket.

"Help! Get it off of me!" screamed James as he disappeared underneath the sludgy Pokémon.

"Muk's just trying to say 'hello'," Tracey smiled. "All right, Muk, let him go."

Muk got off of his new friend, and Ash and Tracey looked down at where James lay.

"You think he's all right?" Tracey asked Ash.

"Even if he's not, there's no way I'm putting my mouth on his again," Ash replied.

"You did _what_?!" Tracey exclaimed with a shocked look in Ash's direction.

Ash's face turned bright red. "Uh, never mind what I said. Come on, Tracey. Let's get him upstairs."

The two boys each grabbed a leg and dragged James upstairs behind them.

--- 

"These clothes make me look awful," James simpered as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. "And aqua is definitely not my color. It clashes with my hair."

"Hey, it's the best I could do, so quit complaining," Tracey growled as he threw a pair of socks in James's direction.

Ash opened the door to Tracey's room and started giggling at the sight of James dressed in Tracey's clothes. "Who's that, Trace? Your twin brother?"

"Boys, that's enough," a cleaned-up Professor Oak said as he appeared in the doorway and gave James a curious look. "Well, I guess that'll have to do. Now you can be on your way."

"But don't I get a hot meal, too?" James asked as his stomach growled.

Professor Oak sighed. "All right. Tracey, go get James some soup. Then you can be on your way."

"Come on, Ash," Tracey grumbled as he followed Professor Oak downstairs. The two boys disappeared down the stairs, leaving James alone in Tracey's room. As he flopped on Tracey's bed and sank down into the pillow, James heard a tapping at the window. Getting up, he raised the sash and was immediately struck in the head by a flying pebble. "Ow!"

"Sorry, James," Meowth apologized as he climbed up a tree and in through the window. Jessie followed immediately behind him.

"Jessie? Meowth? What are you doing here?" James exclaimed in surprise at the sight of his friends.

"Shh, don't blow our cover!" Jessie ordered as she clamped a hand over his mouth. 

"At first, we were here to spring you out of this joint, but it looks like they're taking good care of you," Meowth said, suppressing a giggle at the sight of his partner in an oversized T-shirt and shorts.

"So we've decided that you're going to be our ticket into stealing all the Pokémon in this lab," Jessie smiled. "All you have to do is come up with a way to spend the night here."

"And while everyone else is asleep, you let us in and we'll steal all the Pokémon in the joint," Meowth finished. "The Boss will really be happy when he sees all the rare Pokémon we bring back for him. The ol' Professor's bound to have a bunch of them in his lab."

"But how am I going to do that?" James wondered. 

"Well, you'd better think of something fast, because…" Jessie stopped in mid-sentence when she heard footsteps coming down the hallway.

"Yipes!" Both Jessie and Meowth leapt out the window just as Tracey and Ash entered the room.

"What's taking you so long, James?" Tracey asked. "Your soup's waiting."

"Uh…I thought I needed some fresh air," James stammered as he shut the window (and saw a bruised Jessie and Meowth lying on the ground below – both had missed the tree). 

--- 

"Mmmm, that was delicious," James sighed contentedly as he finished his last spoonful of vegetable soup. "You certainly are a good cook, Professor."

"Oh, he didn't cook that," Tracey said. 

"Yeah, Professor Oak's probably one of the worst cooks in the world," Ash said, then gulped when he saw Professor Oak frowning at him from across the table.

"Ash's mom made it," Tracey told James.

"Well, twerp, tell your mom that she makes excellent vegetable soup," James told Ash as he finished licking the last drops out of the soup bowl.

"Well, now you can be on your way," Professor Oak said as he stood up.

James then suddenly remembered Jessie's words_: Come up with a way to spend the night here. _James's mind frantically started racing, then inspiration struck. James faked a huge sneeze. "A-achoo!"

"Hey!" Ash exclaimed as James blew droplets of vegetable soup all over Pikachu.

"Oh dear, I think I'm getting sick," James said as he started coughing, sneezing, shivering, and wheezing – all at the same time.

Ash, Tracey, and Professor Oak exchanged skeptical glances.

"Aw, you're faking it," Ash said. 

"I am not!" James protested as he melodramatically rested the back of his palm on his forehead. "I'm probably getting pneumonia after that evil Gyrados of yours," James glared at Professor Oak, "tried to drown me!"

"I'm beginning to wish that I hadn't give you artificial respiration in the first place," Ash grumbled.

"Quiet, twerp!" James snapped as he yanked the tablecloth off of the table (sending the dishes atop it crashing to the floor) and wrapped it around himself. "Have some respect for someone who's deathly ill!"

"Deathly ill, hmm?" Professor Oak leaned over and felt James's forehead. "You don't have a fever."

"Yeah, you looked pretty healthy to me until a moment ago," Tracey said as he picked up the pieces of the dishes that had broken when James sent them scattering to the floor.

James slapped Professor Oak's hand aside. "I _am_ sick, I tell you! I'm probably dying right now as we speak!"

"Well, if you're that sick, then we should get you to the hospital right away," Professor Oak said as he reached for James's arm.

James gulped anxiously. "Wait! On second thought, I don't think I'm _that_ sick. It's probably just a mild case of pneumonia or something. All I need is a good night's rest and I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Well, I don't think you should stay here if you're sick. I don't want the Pokémon to catch whatever it is you have," Professor Oak continued.

"Nonsense," James said as he wrapped the tablecloth tightly around himself and pretended to shiver. "Your Pokémon won't have a thing to worry about. I'll stay in bed and won't even let Jessie and Meowth inside tonight." James then clapped a hand over his mouth when he realized that he had just revealed his plans to everyone.

Tracey and Ash exchanged "a-ha" glances.

"You heard Professor Oak," Ash said as he grabbed James's other arm. "It's time for you to go."

"Now wait just a second, Ash," Professor Oak said. "It wouldn't be right to send this poor, sick young man out in the cold if he has pneumonia."

"That's right, twerp," James said haughtily as he snatched his arm out of Ash's grasp. "Listen to the old man."

Ash stared at Professor Oak in disbelief. "What are you talking about, Professor Oak?"

"What I mean is that he can spend the night here."

Tracey's mouth fell open. "Professor, you can't be serious!"

"Yeah, you heard what James just said!" Ash exclaimed.

Professor Oak held up his hand, motioning for silence. "I'm perfectly serious. He can spend the night here, but only on one condition." Professor Oak reached into the pocket of his lab coat and pulled out a pair of rubber gloves. 

James gulped nervously. "W-what are you going to do with those?"

"I'm going to examine you myself and make sure that you're not contagious. I can't risk the health of all the Pokémon in the lab," Professor Oak said as he started putting on the latex examination gloves.

"B-but you're not a doctor," a wide-eyed James said as he watched in horror.

"No, but I have given hundreds of Pokémon physicals as part of my research. It wouldn't be any different. And I assure you, I'm quite thorough when I perform my examinations," Professor Oak said as he snapped on the final glove. "Ash, Tracey, why don't each of you grab an arm and hold him down?"

Tracey grinned devilishly. "Sure, Professor."

As Ash eagerly reached for James's other arm, the terrified patient pulled away from their grasp and whipped off the tablecloth. 

"It's a miracle! I'm cured!" James then dashed for the front door, nearly tripping over Kingler in the process. "Must be going now, thanks for the soup, bye!"

Ash and Tracey doubled over in laughter as James flew out the door and down the hill.

"Oh, man, that was so funny!" Tracey giggled as he leaned on the table.

"Did you see his face when Professor Oak told us to hold him down?" Ash laughed as he picked up Pikachu.

"Yes, I thought it was pretty funny myself," Professor Oak grinned as he pulled off the examination gloves. 

"But one thing I can't figure out," a puzzled Ash asked. "Why did James get so nervous when you started putting on those gloves? What did he think you were going to do to him?"

"Uh…I'll explain it to you later, Ash," Professor Oak said as he pocketed the gloves and picked up the tablecloth James had thrown on the floor. "Let's finish cleaning up the mess he made."

"Hey, where's he going in such a hurry?" Meowth asked as James flew past their hiding place in the bushes outside the Oak lab.

"Hey!" James yelped as Jessie reached out and grabbed him by the collar.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jessie snarled. "You were supposed to stay inside and let us in!"

"NO! I can't go back there!" a terrified James whimpered. "That crazy old man tried to…to…" James shuddered.

"Well, you'd better figure out a way to get back in there, James, or else you'll have another reason to be scared," Jessie threatened her partner.

"You don't have to growl at me, Jessie," James said. 

"I didn't growl at you," Jessie insisted.

Meowth turned around and gulped. "Uh, I think I know what did."

Jessie and James also turned around and found themselves face-to-face with an angry herd of Tauros. 

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" the three exclaimed as they were butted into the stratosphere. 

As the trio flew by, Ash dashed out the front door with a revulsed expression on his face.

"Ewwwwwww!!!! That's disgusting!"

"I see you told Ash what the gloves were used for," Tracey said with amusement as he watched Ash run down the hill to his house.

"Well, I can't say I blame him," Professor Oak told his assistant. "When you get to be my age, you really don't want to see the doctor coming towards you with a pair of these on."


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Ash was back at Ochre Lake with Brock.

"I still don't think there are any Dratini here," sighed Ash as he reeled in his empty hook for the tenth time. "Maybe I should just get Misty something else." Ash turned to his friend. "What are you getting Misty for her birthday, Brock?"

"I got her a copy of Prima's latest book, _Going With The Flow_. You know what a big fan Misty is of Prima."

"Yeah, bet she'll like that," Ash said as gathered up his fishing equipment. "I think I'm gonna head back on home."

"But we haven't been here that long, Ash," Brock said. "Why don't you stay here a bit longer?"

"Nahh, I've got chores to do at home. Mom wants me to help her put manure on the garden." Ash wrinkled his nose and made a face. "And Professor Oak said that there was plenty of Tauros manure at his place."

"Well, I'll stay here a little bit longer," said Brock as he tossed his line back into the water. "And if I do catch a Dratini, I'll bring it to you."

"So, the twerp is trying to catch a Dratini to give to his twerpy girlfriend," James whispered as he, Meowth, and Jessie watched Ash from behind a clump of bushes. "That's why he and that psychotic professor were at the lake yesterday."

"Yeah, well good thing they were, otherwise you might not be here now," said Meowth.

James shuddered at the recollection of Ash giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation the day before.

"Shut up, you two," Jessie hissed. "I've got a plan."

--- 

"This has got to be one of your worst ideas yet, Jessie," Meowth complained as he struggled to fit into a hastily-contructed Dratini costume.

"Just shut up and put the costume on!" Jessie ordered as she and James hurriedly put on fishermen's outfits. "He's coming this way!"

As Ash headed down the path to his house, he was surprised to see two white-bearded fishermen, one with bright red hair and the other with blue hair, dressed in bright yellow raincoats and boots. 

"Ahoy, matey!" called the blue-haired fisherman cheerfully to Ash. "Come see what we've caught today!"

"It's a rare Pokémon, one of the rarest water-dwelling Pokémon of all!" the red-haired fisherman told Ash as she flicked her fishing pole and hooked Ash by his jacket.

Eyeing the strange-looking fisherman warily, Ash removed the hook from his jacket. "What kind of Pokémon?"

"I'm glad you asked," continued Fisherman James. "Allow me to present a rare and valuable Dratini!" 

With a dramatic flourish, James pushed aside the bushes to reveal a squat, chubby-looking Dratini that appeared to be having a problem keeping its head on straight.

"Now isn't that the most magnificent specimen of a Dratini you've ever seen?" smiled Fisherman Jessie.

Ash made a face. "Aren't Dratini usually skinnier than that?"

"Are you callin' me fat?" said Dratini Meowth angrily.

Fisherman Jessie bopped the offended Dratini on the head. "Quiet, you!" 

"This is a super-sized Dratini," James informed Ash. "And for no extra charge!"

"Now if you're interested in this handsome specimen, we'd be willing to trade for it," Jessie smiled as she eyed Pikachu evilly. 

Ash thought about it for a moment. Even though he really did want to get Misty a Dratini for her birthday – although the dazed one standing before him did look pretty ragged – he wasn't interested in trading any of his Pokémon for it.

"Sorry, but I'm not interested," Ash said as he started down the path again.

"Wait!" said James as he jumped in front of him to block Ash's way. "Are you sure you wouldn't be interested in trading that cute little Pikachu of yours for a rare jumbo Dratini?"

"No way! I'd never trade my Pikachu for anything!" Ash exclaimed.

"But we would," Jessie said as she reached behind Ash and plucked Pikachu from his shoulders.

"Hey! Give me back my Pikachu!" Ash yelled as Team Rocket started running in the opposite direction.

"Sorry, twerp," Jessie called back. "But we've caught ourselves a Pikachu and we're not throwing it back!"

"That's what you think," Ash said as he reached for one of his Poké balls. "Totodile, I choose you!"

The small blue crocodile Pokémon appeared with a happy cry.

"Totodile, use your Hydro Pump to send those phony fishermen back to the sea!"

A torrent of water shot out of Totodile's mouth and sent Jessie, James, and Meowth reeling. As Pikachu flew out of Jessie's arms, Ash leapt forward and caught his Pokémon before it hit the ground.

"Looks like Team Rocket's sailing away again!"

---

"And be sure to tell your mother that there's plenty more where that came from," Professor Oak smiled as he watched Ash shovel the last scoop of Tauros manure into a wheelbarrow.

Ash grumbled under his breath as he wiped the sweat out of his eyes. "I didn't think there was this much Tauros poop in the whole world," he said as he attempted to lift the wheelbarrow that was piled high with the pungent brown muck.

"Well, it's from your herd of Tauros," Professor Oak said as he helped Ash lift the wheelbarrow's handles. "Got it?"

"Yeah, I think I can make it home now," Ash grunted as he tried to direct the heavy load in the direction of his house.

As Ash struggled down the hill, Team Rocket watched from behind a large rock in the middle of the field where the grass-type Pokémon played.

"There's the twerp," Meowth said, pointing in Ash's direction.

"Let's get him," Jessie said. "I'm going to make him pay for ruining my makeup!" 

As Ash attempted to keep the wheelbarrow from tipping over, Jessie, James, and Meowth jumped out from behind a rock. 

"Need a hand, twerp?" Jessie sneered as she threw her Poké ball. "Arbok, go!" The huge snake Pokémon appeared with a flash of light. "Arbok, trip up that twerp!"

Arbok wrapped its tail around Ash's legs and sent him crashing to the ground. Ash lost his grip on the wheelbarrow, and it started rolling out of control down the hill. Ash gasped in horror as he saw the wheelbarrow heading straight for his house and quickly reached for a Poké ball. "Bulbasaur, I choose you!"

The grass-type Pokémon appeared with a cry. "Bulbasaur!"

"Bulbasaur, use your Vine Whip to grab that wheelbarrow!"

Thick vines shot out from the bulb on the Pokémon's back and wrapped around the handles of the wheelbarrow. The wheelbarrow screeched to a stop and then flipped backwards into the air. 

"Oh no," James whimpered as he watched the wheelbarrow and its contents head in his direction. There was a loud "clang" as the wheelbarrow hit Arbok on the head, knocking it out. Then manure rained down on Team Rocket from all directions.

"I've heard of Mud Slap attacks, but this is the first time I've been attacked by a Muck Slap!" Meowth said as he ran for cover.

"Stop!" Jessie screeched as she ran from the flying droppings. Not watching where she was going, she tripped over a protruding tree root and fell face first into a Vileplume's flower. 

"Vileplume!" the Pokémon said angrily as it released its Stun Spore, sending a struggling Jessie flying out in a cloud of sparkling dust.

"Oh no," Jessie sighed as she landed on the ground in a large pile of manure and immediately fell over in a dead faint.

"Jessie! What did you do to…" James was interrupted mid-sentence as he was hit in the mouth by a flying Tauros dropping. Sputtering and spitting, James fell to his knees and was then pelted repeatedly by more flying Tauros manure.

Ash, who had managed to dodge most of the wheelbarrow's contents, scrambled to his feet just as Brock appeared over the hill.

"Hey, Ash, you left your tackle…" Brock then was hit in the face by a Tauros dropping and fell over backwards.

"What in the world is going on here?" Professor Oak asked as he came running down the hill and narrowly avoided being hit by the flying contents of the wheelbarrow. 

"That's what's going on, Professor!" Ash said, pointing in the direction of the muck-covered Team Rocket. "Team Rocket's up to their old tricks again!"

"What are you doing back here?" Professor Oak demanded.

At the sight of Professor Oak, James scrambled to his feet and threw himself over Jessie's crumpled body. "Not you again! Don't come near me, you crazy old man!"

By now, the group was joined by Tracey and Misty, who had been looking at the baby Bellsprouts nearby and heard the commotion.

"Oh no, not them again," Tracey sighed at the sight of the three manure-covered members of Team Rocket.

Misty wrinkled her nose and then pinched it shut. "Phew! I always said that Team Rocket stinks, but this just proves my point."

Professor Oak, who by now had time to survey the situation, pointed in Arbok's direction. "Tracey, go see if that Pokémon needs some medical attention." 

As Tracey bent over Jessie's Pokémon, the dazed purple snake disappeared in a flash of light. 

"I won't let you hurt Jessie's Pokémon either," James said as he recalled Arbok into one of his empty Poké balls.

"What's wrong with Jessie?" Misty asked Ash.

"I'll tell ya' what's wrong," a filthy Meowth said as he appeared from underneath a bush. "That nasty Vileplume over there gave Jessie a snootful of Stun Spore!"

"Stay away from her!" James ordered as Professor Oak took a step in Jessie's direction. "I don't trust you after what you tried to do to me last night!"

Wiping the manure from his face, Brock stood up and then knelt down next to Jessie. "She's burning up," he reported as he felt her forehead. 

"Is this the first time she's been exposed to Stun Spore?" Professor Oak asked James.

"No," Misty replied. "She ran into some the same time Ash and Tracey did when we were in the Orange Islands. Although the fever didn't hit them this fast the last time."

"That's because the first exposure to Stun Spore acts as a sensitizing dose," Professor Oak explained. "Subsequent exposures cause more severe symptoms with a faster onset."

"We have some salveo weed in the lab, don't we, Professor?" Tracey asked.

"Yes, but I think some extract would be faster," Professor Oak replied. "Tracey, run back to the lab and draw up one cc of Stun Spore antidote."

"You got it, Professor," Tracey said as he ran back to the laboratory. A minute later he returned with a syringe in his hand.

"Thanks, Tracey," Professor Oak said as he took the syringe from his assistant and knelt next to Jessie. As he reached into the pocket of his lab coat and produced a pair of rubber gloves, James shrieked in terror.

"Not the gloves! Stay away from me!" James ran and cowered behind a nearby tree trunk.

"What's his problem?" a confused Brock asked. 

"I'll explain it to you later, Brock," said Ash. "And believe me, it's pretty gross."

"Hold her arm for me, will you, Brock?" Professor Oak asked as he inspected the contents of the syringe.

"Hey, Professor, what are you gonna do with that needle?" Meowth asked nervously. "Aren't you gonna give Jessie some salveo weed tea?"

"Normally I would, but since your friend is unconscious, she can't drink anything. I'm going to have to administer it intravenously."

"Intra-what? What does that mean?" Meowth asked.

"This," Professor Oak said as he stuck the syringe's needle into Jessie's arm and proceeded to inject the antidote.

Meowth screamed. "Yahh! I hate needles!" He then fell over in a dead faint. 

"Wha-what's going on?" Jessie asked weakly as her eyelids fluttered open.

"Jess! You're alive!" James exclaimed happily as he emerged from his hiding place behind the tree. "The crazy professor didn't try to kill you, after all!"

Brock gave James a funny look. "Who's calling who crazy?"

"James, what's going on? And why do you smell like a barn?" Jessie asked as her partner knelt down next to her and cradled her in his arms.

"I'll tell you what's going on," Ash said. "You creeps tried to steal my Pikachu earlier and you nearly sent a load of Tauros manure crashing into my house!"

"Well, we wouldn't have had to do those things if you had just given us your Piakchu in the first place," Jessie retorted as she slowly got to her feet with some assistance from James. "You were the one who wanted a Dratini so badly for your twerpy girlfriend."

"Girlfriend? Dratini? What's she talking about, Ash?" Misty asked.

"Uh, she must still be dazed from the Stun Spore," Ash gulped hastily. 

"We'll make a deal with you," Jessie said as she tried to brush the manure off of her clothes. "Give us your Pikachu, and we'll give you a Dratini."

"How about we make a deal with you?" Tracey said. "You get out of here, and we'll give you Meowth back?" 

Jessie and James turned around and saw that Tracey was holding a semiconscious Meowth in his arms.

"No fair!" James protested. "We're supposed to be the ones doing the dirty dealing, not you!"

"Hmm, Meowth doesn't look too good to me," Professor Oak said as he stood up. "Maybe I ought to examine him."

"YAHHHH!" James screamed, recalling how Professor Oak tried to "examine" him the night before. "You're not coming near Meowth with those gloves on!" James snatched Meowth out of Tracey's arms and took off down the hill with a slightly wobbly Jessie trailing along behind them.

"I don't get it," said Brock as Ash and Tracey started snickering. "What's his problem?"

"Lemme explain it to you Brock," Ash said as they watched Team Rocket disappear over the horizon. "Although you probably really don't wanna know what those rubber gloves are used for."


	3. Chapter 3

"What's up, Tracey?" Ash asked the next day as he and Pikachu came bounding into the lab. "Why did Professor Oak want to see me?"

"Hey, Ash," Tracey said as he looked up from his workstation. "I think Professor Oak's down the hall."

"Ah, there you are, Ash," a harried Professor Oak said as he came into the laboratory and pulled a pair of rubber gloves out of a box. As soon as Ash saw Professor Oak snap on the gloves, he remembered their conversation from the other night. 

"Uh, I think I'd better be going now," Ash gulped as he dashed for the door.

"Oh, don't be silly," Professor Oak said as he grabbed Ash by the collar and tossed another pair of gloves in Ash's direction. "Put these on and come with me."

Ash stared at the gloves and wondered what sort of diabolical experiment Professor Oak was going to conduct with him.

"Don't just stand there, Ash!" Professor Oak snapped. "I need your help!"

Reluctantly, Ash slipped on the rubber gloves and followed Professor Oak down the hall, wondering if he could make a break for the back door unnoticed.

"Here," Professor Oak said as he pointed to the stack of dishes piled up in the kitchen sink. "The dishwasher's broken again, and I need someone to help me with these."

Ash looked at the dishes and breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Grab a sponge and let's get started," Professor Oak said as he tossed one in Ash's direction. 

"Man, I never thought I'd be so glad to see a stack of dirty dishes," a relieved Ash said as Professor Oak turned on the water. 

"Why?" Professor Oak asked curiously. 

"Well, when you put on those gloves and gave me a pair, I thought….well…that you were gonna…"

"Do what, Ash?" Professor Oak said with a grin.

"Never mind," Ash said as he rinsed off a plate. "Is this why you wanted me to come over? To help you with the dishes? I thought this was Tracey's job."

"Well, normally this would be Tracey's job, but he's busy organizing some data for me on the variation in bill length in Doduos. And no, I didn't ask you to come over to help me with the dishes. You just happened to be in the right place at the right time." 

As soon as the two had finished with the dishes, Ash followed Professor Oak back into the laboratory. 

"Here's the reason why I wanted you to come over, Ash," Professor Oak said as he handed Ash a Poké ball.

Ash looked at the Poké ball in amazement. "What's inside it?"

"Why don't you find out?" Professor Oak grinned.

"Okay! Poké ball, go!" As soon as Ash had hurled the Poké ball skyward, a slender blue dragonlike Pokémon appeared in a flash of light.

"It…it's a Dratini!" Ash exclaimed as the Pokémon gave a happy cry and dived into a nearby tank of water. "But how…where…?"

"As you know, Professor Hale is an expert on legendary Pokémon, which include dragon types. A Dragonite of his recently had a litter of Dratini, and this is one of them." Professor Oak explained to the astonished boy. "And he does owe me a favor after that little encounter with the Unown."

"Wow…but I can't accept this, Professor Oak," Ash said as he watched the Pokémon swim around the tank. "It's your Dratini, not mine."

"It's yours now, Ash," Professor Oak smiled at the boy. "It's my way of saying 'thanks' for helping me with the dishes."

Ash whirled around in amazement. "You…you mean it?"

"Yes, Ash. You're Dratini's trainer now." 

"Wow! Thanks, Professor Oak!" Ash exclaimed happily as he gave his mentor a quick hug. 

"You're welcome, Ash. Now why don't you spend the rest of the day getting acquainted with Dratini?" 

"Yeah! Come on, Pikachu!" Ash called to his other Pokémon. "Let's go play with our new friend!"

--- 

"Feeling better today, Jessie?" James asked as the Team Rocket trio headed down the path leading to Ochre Lake.

"Aside from still smelling like a barn of smelly old Tauros, you mean?" Jessie snarled. "I still can't get that manure smell out of my hair!"

"Well, I always thought you were…hey! Look at that!" Meowth stopped in the middle of the path and pointed in the direction of the lake where a dark-haired boy in a baseball cap and a little yellow Pokémon were watching a long blue dragonlike Pokémon splash in the water.

"I don't believe it!" exclaimed James. "The twerp caught a Dratini!"

"Which means that it's time for us to capture a Dratini," Jessie announced. "We're going to make that little twerp pay for what he did to us yesterday."

"And the Boss will be sure to pay us a big reward for a rare Pokémon like a Dratini," continued Meowth.

"And Pikachu, too," James said, rubbing his hands together gleefully.

"Okay, Dratini, let's see how high you can jump!" Ash laughed as the Pokémon leapt gracefully into the air, did a half-turn, then splashed back into the water. "Misty's gonna love Dratini, won't she, Pikachu?"

"Pikachu!" the little yellow Pokémon agreed. "Pika?" Pikachu's ears perked up and it turned in the direction of a rustling sound coming from the bushes. Out stepped a red-haired woman, a blue-haired man, and a Meowth. All three were wearing park ranger's uniforms.

"Who are you?" asked a startled Ash.

"We're the game wardens," Jessie explained as she displayed her fake, yet official-looking, badge.

"And we have reason to believe that you're fishing for Dratini out of season," James continued, pointing in the direction of the Pokémon swimming about happily in the water.

"So let's see your fishing license, kiddo," ordered Meowth. "And make it snappy!"

"But…but I don't have a fishing license!" gulped Ash.

"Well, too bad, then," Jessie said as she reached for Ash's Pokémon. "Then that means that we'll have to confiscate this Dratini."

"Hey! Let go of my Dratini!" Ash shouted as he grabbed Jessie's arm.

"Beat it, twerp!" Jessie snarled as she knocked Ash aside. As Ash tumbled to the ground, Jessie's hat fell off, revealing her true identity.

"Hey! You're not game wardens! You're Team Rocket!" Ash exclaimed as he scrambled to his feet.

"That's right, twerp," said James as he reached for Pikachu. "Which means that it's time to…"

"Prepare for trouble!" began Jessie as she whipped off her costume.

"And make it double!" continued James as he whipped off his.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!" 

"James!"

"Team Rocket – blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's…"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Wobbuffet, get back in your Poké ball right now!" an exasperated Jessie shouted at her Pokémon.

"Wobb?" said the bright blue Pokémon as it saluted her.

"Hey, I'm tired of you stealin' my lines every time we do the Team Rocket motto!" Meowth said as he jumped atop Wobbuffet and began clawing it with Fury Swipes.

"You stupid Pokémon! Get back in your Poké ball this instant!" Jessie shouted as she also began pummeling the unfortunate Wobbuffet. The Dratini slid out of her grasp and jumped back into the lake.

"Hey, guys," said Ash with a grin. "Wanna see the move I taught my new Pokémon?"

"Huh?" The tussling Team Rocket turned to look at Ash, who was pointing in their direction.

"Okay, Dratini, Thunder Wave!" 

As an electric wave flew in the direction of Team Rocket, Pikachu jumped out of James's arms. 

"YAHHHH!!!" shrieked Team Rocket as they were effectively paralyzed by Dratini's attack.

"Great job, Dratini!" Ash congratulated it. "Now let's finish 'em off, Pikachu! Hit 'em with your Thunderbolt!" 

Sparks began to fly from Pikachu's red cheeks. 

"Pikachuuuuu!!!" 

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" cried Team Rocket as Pikachu's Thunderbolt propelled them into the atmosphere.

"Wobbuffet!"

"All right! Great job, Pikachu!" said Ash happily as his Pokémon jumped on his shoulder. "You too, Dratini! Misty's gonna be really lucky to have you as her Pokémon."

"Dratini," the Pokémon agreed.


	4. Chapter 4

Saturday morning, Ash was busy spreading Tauros manure on his mother's rosebushes (Professor Oak had sent Tracey down earlier that morning with another wheelbarrow load) when an excited Misty came running into the garden.

"Hi, Misty," Ash said as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "What's up?"

"Oh, Ash, you're not going to believe it!" Misty said excitedly as she pulled out a Poké ball. "My sisters gave me my birthday present and you just have to see it!" She threw the Poké ball and a slender blue dragonlike Pokémon appeared in the Ketchum fish pond. 

Ash's jaw dropped. "It's…it's a Dratini."

"I know," Misty gushed as she went over to her new Pokémon and hugged it tightly. "I've wanted one for years and now I've finally got one! Say 'hello' to Ash, Dratini." The Pokémon chirruped happily as Misty gave it a big kiss. "You are such a cutie!" 

An exasperated Ash threw down his shovel. "Of all the…I don't believe it!"

"What's wrong, Ash?" Misty asked. "Don't you like my new Dratini?"

"Oh sure, Misty," Ash said sarcastically. "Matter of fact, I like Dratinis so much that I've spent the last couple of days trying to catch one for you. I've nearly had my Pikachu stolen, had manure thrown on me, been tripped up, and - worst of all - I had to put my mouth on James's just so I could get you this!" He hurled a Poké ball at her feet.

"You did _what_ to James?" a shocked Misty exclaimed as she picked up the Poké ball.

"Yeah, I had to touch my lips with James's just so I could get you a Dratini!" Ash snarled as Misty threw the Poké ball and a Dratini identical to the other one appeared. 

"Wow, Ash," a surprised Misty said as she watched the two Dratini start chattering to each other. "I never had anyone kiss another guy just for me."

"I didn't kiss him!" Ash shot back defensively. "I had to give him mouth-to-mouth. Professor Oak made me do it." Scowling, Ash plopped down on the bench in the middle of the rose garden. "All this time, I wanted to get you something different for your birthday."

A smile began to form on Misty's lips as she watched the two Dratini splash playfully in the pond. "You know, Ash, there's nothing wrong with having two Dratini. Matter of fact, the Dratini my sisters got me is a girl. The Dratini you got me is a boy."

"Yeah, so what?" 

"Then that means that you did get me something different for my birthday." Misty said as she sat down beside Ash on the bench. "Thanks."

"Hello, Misty," Professor Oak called out cheerfully as he rode up to the Ketchum house on his bicycle. "Happy birthday!"

"Thanks, Professor," Misty smiled as she waved in his direction. "Come see my new Dratini!"

Professor Oak opened the side gate and was momentarily taken aback at the sight of two Dratini splashing in the pond. "_Two_ Dratini?"

"It's okay, Professor Oak," Ash reassured him. "Misty's sisters gave her a girl Dratini. I gave her a boy."

"They look quite happy together, don't they?" Professor Oak smiled as he watched the two Pokémon play. "Perhaps someday they'll have some teeny Dratini of their own."

Both Ash and Misty rolled their eyes at Professor Oak's terrible pun. 

"Now I know why Mom says that Professor Oak's jokes are so terrible," Ash said in a stage whisper to Misty. Both teens started giggling as Professor Oak's face started turning red.

"Delia…I mean, your mom said that?" 

"Mom's probably waiting for you inside, Professor," Ash smiled as he nodded in the direction of the back door. Misty and Ash, still giggling, sat back down on the bench and watched the Dratini play.

"Good morning, Samuel," Delia smiled as Professor Oak opened the back door and came into the kitchen. "I was in the middle of making a birthday cake for Misty's party."

"Never mind that," Professor Oak said as he sat down at the kitchen table. "Did you really tell Ash that my jokes were terrible?"

"Well, you do seem to have a gift for terrible puns," Delia said as she wiped her hands on her apron and sat down next to her visitor. "Remember when Mimie stopped Team Rocket from stepping all over my flowers and you said that he was good at 'garden it'?" Noticing the dejected expression on his face, Delia leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Fortunately, I'm a glutton for pun-ishment."

"I think I'm gonna hurl," Ash gagged, having overheard his mother's conversation with Professor Oak through the screen door.

"Oh, be quiet, Ash," Misty reprimanded him. "I think it's cute."

"Here, you can lick the bowl," Delia said as she placed the bowl of chocolate icing on the table in front of Professor Oak.

"Hey, why does he get to lick the bowl of icing and I don't?" Ash complained to Misty. "That's my job!"

"Come on, Mister Nosy," Misty said as she grabbed him by the ear the same way she usually did with Brock. "It's not polite to eavesdrop."

"Ow, watch the ear, Misty! Watch the ear!" Ash yelped as she dragged him across the yard to where the Dratini were.

"Ash told me that you helped him find a Dratini for Misty," Delia said as she handed Samuel a spatula and he began to scrape out the last remnants of chocolate icing in the bowl.

"Well, after what he's been through the last couple of days, I thought I'd give him a hand," he replied as he offered Delia the first taste of the icing.

"No kidding," Delia said as she carefully licked the icing off of the spatula and Samuel watched her with interest. "He came home the other day smelling like manure and the evening before that, he came running through the door looking like he was going to throw up."

"Oh, I'm afraid the other night was my fault," Samuel admitted. 

"It was? How?"

"Ash asked me what I use rubber examination gloves for and I told him."

"Oh. That explains why Ash told me that he was never going to be a doctor."

"It's not that bad," Samuel said as he finished eating the last bit of icing on the spatula. "Except when you have to examine something like a Snorlax."

"Speak for yourself, Samuel," Delia said as she took away the bowl and put it in the sink. "I hate it when the doctor puts those on because you know what's coming next."

"It's no fun for a man either, Delia," Samuel said as he threw the spatula into the sink alongside the bowl. "Especially if you have a doctor with large hands." He shuddered at the thought.

Delia grinned. "Do any of your Pokémon patients complain about your examination technique?"

"Not too many. And those that do usually bite me or kick me."

"Poor thing," Delia cooed sympathetically as she picked up one of his hands and studied it. "You have nice hands – not too big. I wouldn't mind having someone like you examine me." 

Samuel's eyes lit up at Delia's suggestion. "I do have a pair of gloves with me," he grinned roguishly.

"You do? Oh, that's wonderful!" Delia exclaimed happily. 

"Now where would you like me to perform the examination?" Samuel smiled as his imagination began to run wild.

"How about right here on the kitchen table?" Delia suggested as she patted the formica top.

Samuel was momentarily taken aback by Delia's suggestion. "Uh, I don't think I've ever done it on the kitchen table, Delia. I was thinking that the bedroom might be better."

"No, I'd rather use the kitchen table. It's easier to clean."

"Well, all right then," Samuel said, somewhat uneasy at the thought at what the hard surface would do to his back.

"I'll get the patient ready," Delia said as she disappeared down the hallway.

"Huh?" said a puzzled Samuel as he heard her go upstairs. He had thought that letting him undress her would've been part of the "examination". 

__

Maybe she's going to change into a nightgown or something sexy first, he thought as he tried to determine if the kitchen table would be sturdy enough to support their weight. As he glanced out the screen door and saw the two kids playing with the Dratini in the backyard, he then realized that there was another problem.

"Delia," he called upstairs to her. "What about Misty and Ash?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about them," Delia called back. "I'm sure they've seen what you're doing before. Ash might be curious about it, but I think once he sees you with the gloves on, he won't stick around for long."

Samuel's eyebrows shot up. Once he had time to digest what Delia had said, he turned and quickly locked the kitchen door.

"Okay, your patient's ready," said Delia as she came back into the kitchen.

Eager to see what Delia was (or wasn't) wearing, Samuel quickly turned around and found himself face-to-face with…

"Mime!"

"Okay, Mimie, it's time to let Professor Oak perform your annual physical," Delia said as she scooted her reluctant Pokémon in Samuel's direction. "Hop up on the kitchen table and let him take a look at you."

The smile was immediately wiped off of Professor Oak's face. 

"I'll leave the two of you alone," Delia smiled. "I'm sure you'll want some privacy." She then grabbed her gardening hat and went outside to join Ash and Misty.

As the back door slammed in a crestfallen Professor Oak's face, he turned to the Pokémon who was eyeing him warily.

"Mime?"

"It's all right, Mimie," he sighed. "I was just hoping that I would be playing doctor with someone else."

THE END

__

Author's note: This fic is dedicated to the person who got me interested in Pokémon in the first place -- my oldest son Kevin, who turns seven next Sunday…but I didn't get him a Dratini.


End file.
